Signaling device for announcing pressure loss in pneumatic tires



Sept. 3, 1940. J. HOSCHEK 2,213,781 SIGNALING DEVICE FOR ANNOUNCING PRESSURE LOSS IN PNEUMATIC TIRES- Filed May 14, 1938 Fig.1

1 1 Mil/M Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES SIGNALING DEVICE FOR v ANNOUNCKNG PRESSURE LOSS IN PNEUMATIC TIRES J 056 Hoschek, Buenos Aires, Argentina Application May 14, 1938, Serial No. 208,068 In Argentina April 8, 1938 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a new signaling device for announcing pressure loss in pneumatic tires of all kinds of vehicles equipped therewith, and its principal object consists in 5 providing an apparatus which for the purpose referred to, as soon as the pressure of a pneumatic tire decreases beyond a predetermined limit, provokes the explosion of a harmless quantity of gun powder, and thus produces a detonation loud enough to be heard by the driver of the vehicle.

The apparatus according to the invention is advantageously distinguished from the known pressure loss indicating devices, not only by its simple construction and its low cost, but also by its easy application and by the fact that no special nor additional means have to be provided for inthe different classes of vehicles to which said apparatus is to be applied.

An important advantage of the signaling device according to the invention resides in that the same is adapted to be applied to the usual valve of the pneumatic tires, and as these valves general are of standard size, said device may be manufactured of equal size for all the different types of vehicles.

It is true, there are pneumatic tiresof different capacities, resisting different pressures, but also in as far as this condition is concerned, the apparatus according to this invention permits its construction in such a way that it responds to the desired pressure, making it also possible to supply apparatus responding to a given pressure, in which case, of course, it is necessary to manu- 5 facture apparatus of different pressure resisting capacities according to the difierent standard pressures of the pneumatic tires at present in use.

The signaling device for announcing pressure loss in pneumatic tires of all kinds of vehicles,

according to the present invention, is adapted to be applied to the usual valve of the pneumatic tires in such a way that it constitutes a removable extension of said valve, the arrangement being such that it is said device after its application, and not the usual valve, which closes the air chamber of the pneumatic tire and which maintains the same closed even after its operation in the case that the pressure of the tire decreased beyond a predetermined limit.

The signaling device for announcing pressure loss in pneumatic tires, according to this invention, comprises screw threaded means permitting its easy application to the usual valve of a pneumatic tire, means for establishing communication between the air chamber of the pneumatic tire and the proper signaling device through the usual tire valve, means for maintaining said air chamber closed in spite of said communication, in co-operation with means responsive to the pressure in the air chamber of the pneumatic tire, and means for provoking the explosion of an inoffensive quantity of gun powder in the moment in which said pressure responsive means permit its operation, said device having a tubular casing adapted to receive a removable cover provided with a small cavity for said inoffensive quantity of gun powder, the explosion of which produces a detonation loud enough for being heard by the driver of the vehicle having the pneumatic tires provided with the signaling device of the invention.

With these objects in view and others which will become evident from the following description of the invention as illustrated on the accompanying drawing showing, by way of examples only, three difierent embodiments of the inven tion.

On said drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the signaling device according to the invention with the component parts thereof in position prior to a signaling operation, whereas Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same device with the component parts thereof in position after a signaling operation.

The signaling device for announcing pressure loss in pneumatic tires of all kinds of vehicles, comprises a tubular internally screw threaded member l adapted to be screwed upon the usual valve (not shown) of a pneumatic tire, said member being provided at its upper end with a centrally perforated plate 2. Into the perforation of this plate there is secured a small tube 3 having its lower end closed, but being provided with a lateral hole 4. Within the tubular member I around the tube 3 a packing ring 5 is conveniently provided in order to secure an air-tight connection between the valve of the pneumatic tire and the signaling device of the invention.

The outer edge of the plate 2 with its annular upper surface abuts against a shoulder 6 o'fa connecting ring 1. Between the abutting suffaces of the edge of the plate 2 and of the shoulder 5 a rubber or like flexible. disk 8 is secured, which after the application of the tubular member I to the valve of a pneumatic tire, whereby the lower end of the tube .3 depresses the stem of said valve and opens the latter, hermetically closes the air chamber of the pneumatic tire, while said valve remainsopen.

The connecting ring 1 comprises an internally screw threaded annular extension 9 and an externally screw threaded portion l0, and the same serves for establishing the connection between the externally screw threaded ring member II and the tubular casing l2 of the signaling device according to the invention, whereby this casing is detachably connected with the tubular member i which in turn is secured to the valve of the pneumatic tire.

The connecting ring 1 comprises as integral part thereof a hat like member [3 provided with two or more holes with a ball M in each of said holes, and having on its top a central projection i5 for centering a coil spring l6 adapted to operate the firing mechanism of the signaling device according to the invention.

The firing mechanism comprises a pin mounted on the top of a tubular member 58, which at its lower end i9 is provided with a bevel edge and with an annular groove 26, whereas the top of said member l8 has one or more holes 2i I for the purpose of permitting the circulation of air within the tubular casing 52 and said tubular member l8.

The arrangement of the annular groove 2!! is such that the balls l4 extend laterally into the same under the pressure exerted upon the same by a conical, member 22 which is movably dis posed within the externally screw threaded portion lllof the connecting ring 1 and rests upon the disk 8, so that the pressure of the air of the pneumatic tire exerted upon said disk 8 is imparted to said conical member 22.

The cylindrical or tubular casing l2 at its upper end is provided with an inwardly projecting flange 23 for limiting the upward stroke of the firing mechanism l'l, l8 when this is operated by the coil spring I6. The upper end of the casing 12 further comprises an outwardly extending rim 24 for retaining the cover or cap 25 of rubber. or like flexible material provided on its inner side with a central cavity filled with gun powder 26. I

The cover or cap 25 of rubber or like flexible material is advantageous because the same may be readily attached by hand, whereas its contracting force is sufi'icient to retain it on the rim 24 against the stroke of the firing pin 17; the same, however, will not resist the force of explosion of the gun powder 26 and will be fired, yet without causing any harm as it would likely be the case when using a metal cover or cap. Further, the rubber cover or cap 25, as compared with the'usual cartridge is additionally advantageous for the reason that it does not require ,a special clamping device or other mechanical means for securing the same in its proper position. The rubber cap 2 5, finally, permits enclosing the gun powder and thus protecting the same against moisture.

The operation of this signaling device for announcing the loss of pressure in pneumatic tires is as follows:

When screwing the signaling device with its; tubular member I upon the usual valve of a pneumatic tire, the lower end of the small tube 3 depresses the stem of the valve and opens the,

same, so that the air chamber of the pneumatic tire is .put in direct communication with the space .formed between the plate 2 and the disk 8 and that the pressure exerted by the air of the pneumatic tire directly acts upon said disk and by the intermediation of the latter upon the conical member 22 forcing it upwardly against'the balls M, which for entering into the annular groove 20 of the tubular member l8, retain the latter against the pressure of the coil spring [6 in the position illustrated in Figure 1.

The coil spring 26 has to be selected so that the pressure exerted thereby is lower than the air pressure of the pneumatic tire in properly inflated condition, so that while this condition is maintained, said air pressure'is sufficient to hold the conical member 22 in its position shown in Figure 1 and to retain by means of the balls l4 and the annular groove 20 the firing mechanism l1, l8 against the pressure of the coil spring l6.

As soon as the air pressure of the pneumatic tire decreases beyond a certain limit 'at which it cannot resist the pressure of the coil spring 56,

the'latter forces the firing mechanism l7, l8 upwardly so that the firing pin I'I provokes the explosion of the gun powder 26 in the cover or cap 25, under simultaneous destruction of the latter, and thus produces the desired detonation.

It will be readily understood that the spring l6 may efiect this operation, because for decreasing the pressure upon the disk 8 and throughthis upon the conical member 22, the latter under the pressure exerted by said spring through the intermediate of the balls l4 moves downwardly permitting said balls to move inwardly to the position shown in the Figure 2 and. to cease retaining the tubular member H3 in its annular. groove the latter.

It has to be understood that the present invention by no means is limited to the embodiment as'hereinbefore described and as shown on the accompanying drawing, but that amendments may be made therein as to the form, construction and arrangement of the component parts of the signaling device falling within the scope of the following claims. I

Having thus particularly described the nature of my present invention and the manner how to carry the same into practice, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I claim: 1. A signaling device for announcing pressure loss in pneumatic tires by meansof a firing device responding to a predetermined pressure loss andexploding a harmless quantity of gun powder, comprising a composite cylindrical body, the upper portion of said cylindrical body forming a casing for said firing device, a gun powder containing cover or cap of flexible rubber material, said cover or cap being removably retained by a rim outwardly extending from the upper portion of said cylindrical-body, the intermediate portion of said composite cylindrical body comprising a screw threaded inwardly projecting annular member and a ball cage formed as an integral part of the latter for retaining the firing device in its inoperative position, the lower portion of said composite cylindrical body being formed by an externally screw threaded ring, a tubular internally screw threaded element surrounded and fixed in place by said ring andadapted for being screwed upon the tire valve, said internally screw threaded element formed with a plate like, centrally perforated disk and with a downwardly projecting hollow stem in its central perforation for opening the tire valve, a sealed chamber formed on said disk by a flexible diaphragm fixed in place by being clamped between the outer upper edge of said disk and the lower surface of a shoulder formed by the aforementioned inwardly projecting annular member, and a truncated element movably disposed on said diaphragm within said annular member in pressing contact with the balls of said ball cage for retaining the same in engagement with an annular groove of the tubular spring loaded firing device as long as the pressure exerted by the air of the pneumatic tire on said diaphragm does not decrease beyond a predetermined limit.

2. A signaling device for announcing pressure loss in pneumatic tires by means of a firing device responding to a predetermined pressure loss and exploding a harmless quantity of gun powder, comprising a composite cylindrical body, the upper portion of said cylindrical body forming a casing for said firing device, a gun powder containing cover or cap of flexible rubber material, said cover or cap being removably retained by a rim outwardly extending from the upper portion of said cylindrical body, a flange projecting inwardly from said cylindrical body for limiting the stroke of said firing device, the intermediate portion of said composite cylindrical body comprising an inwardly projecting annular member provided with an externally screw threaded upper portion and with an internally screw threaded lower portion and with a ball cage formed as an integral part of said annular member for retaining the firing device in its inoperative position,

the lower portion of said composite cylindrical body being formed byan externally screw threaded ring, the three portions of said body thus being adapted for being readily screwed together, a tubular, internally screw threaded element surrounded and fixed in place by said ring and adapted for being screwed upon the tire valve; said internally screw threaded element formed with a plate like centrally perforated disk and with a downwardly projecting hollow stem in its central perforation for opening the tire valve, a sealed chamber formed on said disk by a flexible diaphragm fixed in place by being clamped between the outer upper edge of said disk and the lower surface of a shoulder formed by the aforementioned inwardly projecting annular member, and a truncated element movably disposed on said diaphragm within said annular member in pressing contact with the balls of said ball cage for retaining the same in engagement with an annular groove of the tubular spring loaded firing device as long as the pressure exerted by the air of the pneumatic tire on said diaphragm does not decrease beyond a predetermined limit.

Josr': HOSCHEK. 

